Hello ECHO Community,
The 100-Fold bed is a method designed by ECHO network member Lance Edwards and explained in detail in this article: http://edn.link/tn95. It was adapted as an above-ground urban gardening technique and has been demonstrated in the Urban Garden at ECHO NARIC for many years. While working in the UG, I have found the 100-Fold Bed to be an excellent demonstration. It is extremely water-efficient, watering plants directly to their roots, and once it is set up, it requires little maintenance. Notice the huge papayas!
I rebuilt the bed back in September of 2025 to replace the rubber lining that had torn. Previously, the reservoir was filled with sacks of plastic bottles, aluminum cans, and glass bottles. This functioned well, but I was curious if the materials breaking down would eventually have harmful effects on the soil. I also noticed that the plastic bottles tended to compress over time and the cans rusted away. Glass bottles held up the best and have the least concern for contaminating soil as well.
The new bed is filled with a mix of coconuts, rocks, bricks, pieces of cinderblock, and shell. The holes of the cinderblock are filled mainly with glass bottles and the south half has t-shirts along with the glass bottles to test if it will help with wicking. My guess is that if the coconuts break down the bed may need to be rebuilt within a year. I would like to see how these materials hold up compared to the trash and recyclables previously used.
The article suggested filling the reservoir with sawdust or sand-- What are some materials you have tried or could see being used in the reservoir?
What are other aspects of the design you would like to see trialed?